St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-09-03
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL
Economy in Farm Homes.

Good housewife within is needful rs he"
This old couplet is realized by few
at our would-be economists Of the
present day. 1t is futile work for the
good husband without to caulk up the
leaks of farm expenditure If the house
wife within be prodigal and thriftless.
and ignore progressive economy. 1t
is not my intention to impute all fail
ures Of farm life to the good sisters
thereon. for many are frugal house,
wives who struggle vainly against the
theoretical impulses Of the ',gude
man" with his new tangled notions.
far different from those Of his honest
phlegmatic father who carried the
rock in one end Of his corn sack to
balance the other because
his father and his grandfather
had done it before him." We take it
for granted that our good man is q
farmer Of practical purpose and honest
intelligence. and his good wife help
meet for him. He tells her just how
much he can afford for the family sup
port, and then trusts the expenditure
to her care without growing over
every item as though all were for her
| individual benefit instead of the united
family support. Ihavc known wives
of good intelligence. portly and merry.
and by several inches taller than their
husband. actually quail when the flour
gave out and trembled to mention the
hilcous fac. that the sugar barrel was
empty. Why not? The husband was
not a brute as some might infer.
but an honest man Of average
intelligence. and like John Gil
pins wife, 'who had fru-
grail mind" inconsistency expects .
lean laryler to furnish forth full table.
and yet last far beyond the time Not
content with driving the pillow. he also
likes to dip . finger into the pie of
household economy. This should not
be. any more than that the wife should
interfere with the farm arrangements
of the husband. How would he relish
her appearance In the barn-yard die
tating to him about the compost heap
Of planting and reaping and economy
in farm lab0r-matters Of which she
probably knows little. and which he
prefers 70 manage according TO his
own IDEAS We here and there find
. woman who. % to speak. ''wears her
husbands bresches." bat all over the
land. could We bat Peep 1t The inter-
nal machinery Of the household. we
will find men who insist on -donning
the bonnet and apron a their wives.
much to the discomfort Of the latter.
The imaginary husband Of which we
write has no such foible however; he
treats his wife with consideration. not
debating to her in her household
affairs as he would to hiring or an
idiot and in return expects that she
will do her best for the common veal.
As all good wives should. she puts her
shoulder to the wheel and with
Help Hercules" the wagon is out of
the mud and the result contentment
and happiness. II . family Of grow
ing children, she realizes the fact that
''idleness is the mother of mischief"
and so looks to the way of her house,
hold that all are compelled to assist in
the domestic work. Tho two eldest
daughters take turns at the cooking,
and after . few months become
experts in the culinary art to
the pleasure of the father who pro.
fers to partake of a clearly. whole-
some meal. prepared by the white fin
gers OF his daughters. to the most
savory repast. served by a grimy de-
scendant Of Ha m. At the same time.
be it borne in mind. that IL the chill
dren of the household are expected to
perform mental duties. their lives
should not be made . burden. but all
the modern machinery Of convenience
should be gradually purchased Is the
savings from the servants fund &C.
cumulates. When afternoon arrives .
heavy supper should not b expected,
but light meal served instead. which
renders this duty less irksome to the
dutiful servitors and more wholesome
to the digestion. Reading. with recre-
alton of some kind. should always fill
the evening. serving to pleasantly pass
the time. toning up both body and
mind for the next days labor.
Above all. there should be method
and system in the farm home. Each
child must be taught that work is .
duty expected by God Of man. not to
be taken up or thrown down at pleas
ure. and later in life they will thank
the parents thai compelled obedience.
There are many other turns in the
lock by the key Of economy, which
leads to fortune. There is the penny
10 be gained by the sale Of the garden
produce. chickens. eggs and butter,
and one family we knew of grew.
cured and used their own tea The
tiny flower of the fragrant olive. the
garlenia or rose put in muslin bags
and scattered after curing. through the |
leaves of the fragrant beverage. which |
''soothes but does not inebriate." ID
said to impart q rare flavor equal 70 |
the flowers imported. The plant
beautiful evergreen, is hardy in this
latitude. being killed by neither heat
nor cold.
In conclusion. We do not wish our
readers to infer from what has been
written above that . woman's sphere
Is only in the driving drudery Of the
farmhouse wheel. In work Of al
kinds save that which requires superb
DR. physical strength. . woman is not
Dut Of place and should not be held in
Ferior 70 man Wherever tie sign
post Of duty points. that is the road
called on her to travel Be it high.